“There is not one weed or flower, wild or domesticated, which will not sooner or later respond liberally to good cultivation and persistent selection.” ~ Luther Burbank

This past week, I came across the work of Luther Burbank, an American horticulturist and naturalist.  Burbank was convinced that every weed had within it the potential to become something beautiful; that given the right soil, nutrients, time, and care, even the staunchest, most stubborn weed could become a beauty to behold. 

In a paper he presented in 1901, Burbank expressed his hope for the weeds:

“Weeds are weeds because they are jostled, crowded, cropped, and trampled upon, scorched by fierce heat, starved, or perhaps suffering with cold, wet feet, tormented by insect pests or lack of nourishing food and sunshine.  Most of them have opportunity for blossoming out in luxurious beauty and abundance.”

When I read these words, I was struck by two things:

First, I was struck by Burbank’s daring hopefulness.  Where the world saw weeds, he saw flowers waiting to be unearthed.  Where others saw weeds only as they were presently, he saw weeds for what they could become – for their potential.

Second, he recognized that weeds didn’t become flowers overnight.  They needed gentle, persistent care.  They did not achieve new beauty by remaining where they were, how they were.  Burbank knew that for weeds to be transformed, significant, loving changes had to be applied to the weed. 

If they were scorched by heat, they needed shade.

If they were trampled underfoot, they needed protection.

If they were assailed by an insect enemy, they needed to be defended.

Where they were jostled and overcrowded, they needed space – space to grow and enjoy the nutrients of the soil and the warmth of the sun without the throbbing threat of scarcity bearing down upon them. 

The truth is, every single one of us are, on our own, apart from Christ, weeds.  Throughout life we’re jostled and crowded, scorched and trampled, assailed by enemies inside and out, but thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, we too can “blossom out in luxurious beauty and abundance.”

Consider, for instance, Burbank’s claim that weeds are weeds because they are jostled and crowded.  Have you ever noticed that in Luke 5:1-11 when Jesus calls disciples, he calls people out of the pressing crowd and into a small community built around Himself? 

In Luke 5, we’re told the crowds were pressing in on Jesus.  The crowd isn’t described despairingly.  They are eager to hear Jesus teach God’s word, but even so, while crowds can be taught, they cannot be transformed.  Teaching alone can only take people so far. To move beyond information to transformation, people must be pulled out of the crowd and set within a smaller community which is precisely what Jesus does next.

Jesus creates space for transformation by putting distance between the crowd and His not-yet-but-soon-to-be disciples.

First, Jesus puts a little distance between Peter and the crowd by getting into Peter’s boat and setting out into the shallow water.  Not only does this create a less crowded space for Peter and his crew to encounter Jesus, the shoreline functions as a natural amphitheater for Jesus’ teaching.  Even as he’s creating the necessary distance for discipleship to be possible for Peter, Jesus’ heart is still for the crowd.  This isn’t about Jesus loving one group and not the other – it’s about recognizing that a life of discipleship cannot be lived from within the crowd. 

Next, he pulls Peter and his associates even further from the crowd, out into the deep water to let down their nets one more time.  But don’t miss this – going further into the deeper water isn’t about catching fish as much as it is about catching a vision of who Jesus is.  It’s about perspective, a literal stepping back away from the crowd to see Jesus with greater clarity.

And then, when they finally return to shore, Jesus doesn’t just send Peter off into the crowd or even back home; Peter leaves following Jesus for the sake of the crowd. 

The invitation is for Peter to follow Jesus so that he might become a fisher of people.  Before Peter was ready to catch people, he had to catch a vision of Jesus, and before Peter could really catch a vision of Jesus, he had to step out of and away from the crowd. 

What’s the point of all this? 

Crowds may be a place where people are found, but that’s not where they’re formed as disciples.  Crowds can receive the teaching as a form of information, but it’s in close-knit community built around Jesus where information can become inner-formation.

The bottom line is, Jesus is the space where the opportunity for blossoming out in luxurious beauty and abundance is realized and experienced. 

What’s all this mean? 

It means, at some point, if we never move beyond the crowd, we’ll never bloom into the kind of people Jesus imagines us to be.  It means if all we’re ever a part of is the Sunday crowd, we’ll never experience the full measure of discipleship Jesus calls us into.  It means if we really want our lives to bloom and if we really want to experience the abundance of life Jesus promises (John 10:10), the crowd is a great place to start but it can’t be the place we end. 

As we move into the new year, may this be a year where you find new soil, fresh nutrients, and a loving community to grow within.  After all, there’s hope for all us weeds, but we’ve got to be willing to put in the work to take hold of it. 

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